Kansas City MINI Enthusiasts

I am preparing to rid myself of 17" wheels. The question now is what tires to buy. I want something that has a decent width to fit the wheel wells but that won't rub. The two sizes I have concluded work best, thanks to some help, are 205/50/16 and 215/50/16. The problem with the latter is that they're hard to find and I have only found one, Kumho Ecsta ASX, that come in that size and they're back ordered on tire rack and special order everywhere else. So that leaves me with 205/50/16. Which one would give me the look I want?

They're going to be mounted on X-Lites. Assuming I don't buy that set of Rota's from Tom but given that winter is coming, I may stick with the X-Lites for now on these new tires.

Brands I have found. The best one I found on Tire Rack are:

Kumho Ecsta 4X $324 plus shipping
Kumho Ecsta PA31 $300 plus shipping

The PA31's are 91V XL, and the 4X are 87W SL

I am not sure which one to get. I want a bit of a softer ride, given that the roads in Lawrence are horrible and I am trying to keep my suspension from failing some more.

Other brands I looked at
BFG g-Force Super Sport
Pirelli Cinturato P7
Falken Ziex ZE-612+
Yokohama YK580

I'm not concerned too much about ultra performance. I still want to enjoy driving the car, but durability and long life are important on these tires as these, with the wheels, will be what stays on the car when I finally do part with it.

I also found that apparently 205/55-16 will work as well with only a slight increase in mph. Dunno if that will work given my car has the sport suspension. I briefly had some taller dunlops on the ASA wheels when I bought them from Tom and the car didn't seem to have issues.

Why not just run the OEM size of 195/55/16?

205/50/16 won't look good as it has a smaller sidewall than stock (4.0in vs 4.2in).
205/55/16 may have issues as it is taller (4.4in vs 4.2in).

Just run the 205/50/16s. They look good and are available.

Next question?

Another tire option is the Continental ExtremeContact DWS. I had 205/50/16 on our 2009 Honda Fit and they were very good tires.

Though honestly I bet most of these will be just fine for standard driving so get what is in stock.

As often as you change wheel/tire combo's, I'd buy what's cheap and available.... if your history holds by next spring you'll be ready to go to something else anyway.

I am trying to decide on some new tires. I am still using the stock 16' wheels. I am currently running the Yokohama Avid Envigor. I am considering Firestone Firehawk wide oval or Michelin Pilot sport. Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

dsopoci wrote:I am trying to decide on some new tires. I am still using the stock 16' wheels. I am currently running the Yokohama Avid Envigor. I am considering Firestone Firehawk wide oval or Michelin Pilot sport. Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I bought 215/50-16 falken ziex tires but they're rather hard to come by sometimes. You can get that siZe easily in summer tires though but rare in all season. I got this size because it is closer to the original tire size and fills the wheel wells nicely without being too big for the wheel well. Most people though will put the standard 195/55-16 or go to 205/50-16 size. As for brand, pick what you like really. I have found that they all perform different from driver to driver and from car to car.

I went to my local tire place and they came within $15 of tire rack, including mounting and balancing. I went with the firestones, this store has had good luck with them. I went with an all season tire, this one is supposed to have stiff sidewalls, good to have when driving a mini to its' potential.

dsopoci wrote:I went to my local tire place and they came within $15 of tire rack, including mounting and balancing. I went with the firestones, this store has had good luck with them. I went with an all season tire, this one is supposed to have stiff sidewalls, good to have when driving a mini to its' potential.

Agreed

I usually have bought my tires from a friend who used to own a mini, justin golden. He works for a company called palladium Motorsports. Have managed to get dunlops, continentals, and hankooks, all for 17" wheels well under $400 shipped. Though I also have a buddy in Lawrence who mounts them for me for free but wherever you can get a really good deal for a good product I say go for it. And yea I have found the 16" to be a lot better for a comfortable ride, especially on my old R53.